INFORMAL REPORT

EXERCISE 1. Compute the mean, median, and mode for the recently sold homes.
Nine homes recently sold in your community in the following order and for these amounts:
$360,000; $460,000; $360,000; $380,000; $360,000; $420,000; $380,000; $520,000; and
$360,000. Your boss, Andrew Santoso, a realtor with Hagen & Associates, wants you to
compute the mean, median, and mode for this real estate market.
Price $ 360,000 $ 380,000 $ 420,000 $ 460,000 $ 520,000
Frequency 4 2 1 1 1

Mean: 400,000 ($)

Median: 420,000 ($)
Mode: 360,000 ($)
EXERCISE 2
Based on the preceding facts, indicate whether the following statements are
conclusions or recommendations:
a. Many instructors rightly assume that their students don't have the necessary study skills.
 Conclusions
b. Although it is a common learning technique, imitating the style of famous writers is not
always an effective study tool.
 Conclusions
c. Instructors need to teach study skills to help students maximize their use of time and
outcomes.
 Recommendations
d. Highlighting text has little to offer in the way of subsequent performance.
 Conclusions
e. Students should identify the main ideas in the text before highlighting to benefit from this
technique.
 Recommendations
f. Researchers found that many typical student study techniques are ineffective.
 Recommendations
g. Students should consider techniques they have never tried before; for example,
interleaved practice, which mixes different types of material or problems in a single
study session.
 Recommendations
EXERCISE 3
Your business communication class at Westside College was asked by the college
bookstore manager, Craig Daniels, to conduct a survey. Concerned about the environment,
Daniels wants to learn students' reactions to eliminating plastic bags, of which the
bookstore gives away 45,000 annually. Students answered questions about a number of
proposals, resulting in the following raw data:

YOUR TASK
a. Convert the data into a table with a descriptive title. Arrange the items in a logical
sequence.
Westside College Students’ Reaction to Proposals about Eliminating Plastic Bags
Agree Undecided Disagree
1. Give a cloth bag with each major purchase, 11,25% 2,68% 86,07%
the cost to be included in registration fees.
2. Continue to provide plastic bags 23,57% 3,04% 73,39%

3. Provide no bags; offer cloth bags at a 63,75% 3,39% 32,86%

reduced priced (about $37).

4. Provide no bags; encourage students to 73,93% 4,46% 21,61%

bring their own bag.

b. Given the conditions of this survey, name at least three conclusions that researchers
could draw from the data.
- From the survey, it can be seen that students have some thoughts about protecting the
environment by encouraging to bring their own bags
- Students seems to disagree with the idea of including the cost of a cloth bag in the
registration fees.
- The proposals of offering cloth bags at a reduced price and continuing to provide plastic
bags confuse students the most. It can be seen from the data in the survey
c. Prepare three to five recommendations to be submitted to Mr. Daniels. How could the
bookstore implement them?
- The bookstore can try to continue providing plastic bags but with a very little amount
- Simultaneously, try to sell cloth bags with a affordable price to students
- Create campaigns to encourage students to use plastic bags.
EXERCISE 4
Write an informational memo report to your instructor describing your involvement in a club
at your university. Introduce the report by describing the club’s objectives, its history and
leadership, and current activities. In the body of the report, add position and responsibilities,
including the skills you need or needed to perform the position. Then describe the value and
skills you gained from this experience. Your memo report should be single-spaced and 1
1/2 to 2 pages long. Add a meaningful subject line and descriptive headings for each
section of the report.

Mrs. Minh Hien

Academic English Instructor
Dear Mrs. Minh Hien:
Subject: Role in the University Club
Here is the report you requested in the assignment. As you suggested, we followed your
instructions to outline the main ideas for this report. This work will include the club’s
objectives, the history, current activities as well as my position and required skills for it.
They will be shown in detail in the following part.
Club Information
History
On March 3, 2007, Law Consultants Club - Foreign Trade University (LCC-FTU) was
founded based on the concept of Professor. PhD. Nguyen Thi Mo, a former rector of the
institution. LCC-FTU operates under the professional patronage of Faculty of Law - Foreign
Trade University.
Objectives
Throughout 16 years of operating, LCC main objective is to spread students’ love with Law.
The goal of LCC-FTU is to establish a setting where students can share and acquire legal
knowledge. LCC-FTU also intends to make legal knowledge widely accessible to students
and the general public.
Current Activities
Some of the most remarkable activities by LCC
- Organize academic seminars and workshops, such as annual Law School Workshops, the
“Changes in the Law of Labor and Related Issues” seminar, the discussion between
enterprises and consumers, which was co-organized by LCC and the Vietnam Competition
Administration Department
- Operate Law Propagandizing workshops in high schools of Ha Noi
- Co-operate Vietnam CISG Pre-moot with the Law Faculty – FTU, Vietnam International
Arbitration Centre (VIAC), Vietnam Society of International Law (VSIL) and Vietnam
Business Lawyers Club (VBLC)
- Operate Soul of Law – a competition that involves in Business Law for students
Current Position
Currently, I am a member of External Relations Department in LCC. Having been working
for nearly a year, my work includes communicating and creating posts to promote the club,
as well as finding sponsorship while operating campaigns and competitions. While working
here, I am also taught how to make a sponsorship profile, or the way members work
together.
Before becoming an official member, I went through 2 rounds of interview. After that, I
realize that communicating skill is one of the most necessary ones that each member needs
to have for this position. It already shows in the name of the department. And I can also
have the chance to improve my advantages and make myself better through the older
members’ advice.
Experience Learned from LCC
After being a member of LCC for nearly a year, I realize that all I can have is not only the
relationships and people I can know, but also lessons I can get from older members. They
teach me from the smallest things, such as how to create an appropriate email, how to
communicate with clients and even how to find appropriate sponsorships. All of those are
very important for me in the future.
I hope that the above – mentioned information are satisfactory. I trust that my report has
met the demands that you require.
Sincerely,
Trong Hung
EXERCISE 5
You conduct a survey with undergraduate and postgraduate students about the quality of
classrooms, cafeteria, and school facilities at your university.
In the report, you should indicate how you get the data, summarize your research findings,
make recommendations to improve the areas that are less rated by respondents.
You should have a proper heading for each section of the report.

Mrs. Minh Hien

Academic English Instructor
Dear Mrs. Minh Hien:
Subject: Survey Results about Quality of Classrooms, Cafeteria and School Facilities
Here is the report you required in the assignment. My report will include the research
method I have used in my survey, as well as a short summarize of my research findings.
Also, some recommendations will be added to improve the areas that are less rated by
respondents. All of those will be shown in the following part of this report.
Research Method used in the survey
Among many kinds of formal research methods such as interviews, observation, and
experimentation, I choose the survey method due to its outstanding advantages. This
method will be a good way to gain information directly and accurately. This is an important
factor to the success of the report.
Reaction to the Quality of School Rooms
According to the survey, it can easily be seen that most of the students, both
undergraduates and postgraduates, are satisfied with the classrooms’ quality. Only 11% of
postgraduates and 26% of undergraduates are not satisfied due to some reasons.
However, this is a positive figure. It shows that it will not be too difficult to satisfy the others.
Reaction to the Quality of University Cafeteria
Different from the quality of classrooms, reactions of undergraduates and postgraduates to
the quality of the cafeteria are not the same. While just 11% of postgraduates are not
satisfied with the cafeteria, this figure of undergraduates comes up to 26%. This is twice as
much as the postgraduates one. This show that the undergraduates seem to have many
suggestions to the university.
Reaction to the Quality of School Facilities
It can be seen in the survey that it is up to 85% of undergraduates that satisfy with the
facilities in the school. And there are only 1% that do not. This is an outstanding figure. But,
comparing it to the postgraduates, this seem to be completely contrast. The number of
postgraduates that are satisfied with the school facilities is not even half of the students
doing the survey. And there are up to 25% of them that are not pleased with the university’s
facilities.
Recommendations to Improve
After the survey, some recommendations can be made to improve the overall university
ratings. First, some interviews can be made to know more about what they are not satisfied
with. So that the university board can change to improve. However, all changes need to be
made carefully. It must be suitable with most of the students and the conditions of the
school too.
That is all my report. If you have any questions about the survey and the report, I will be
willing to answer all of them. I trust that this work will satisfy you.
Sincerely,
Trong Hung